Crime & Safety

K9 Cali Is Edison’s New Narcotics Detection Dog

Cali now joins K9s Apollo, Caj, and Mack at the Edison Police Department.

Officer Shirley Dong with K9 Cali
Officer Shirley Dong with K9 Cali (Edison Police Department )

EDISON, NJ - The Edison Police Department has its second Narcotics Detection dog, K9 Cali.

K9 Cali now joins K9s Apollo, Caj, and Mack at the Edison Police Department.

She is partnered with her handler, K9 Officer Shirley Dong.

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The duo graduated from the Middlesex County K9 Academy on June 6 where they spent eight weeks training under Middlesex County K9 Sheriff’s Officers Kevin Mastroserio and Jeff Bell.

They were tasked with locating narcotics in various dwellings, vehicles, and landscapes, working in all types of weather conditions.

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“The K9s and their handlers in our department play a crucial role in serving the residents of Edison. Whether they are ensuring the safety of venues and locations from explosive threats, aiding in the recovery of missing or runaway individuals, or helping to remove narcotics from our streets, their contributions are invaluable,” Chief Thomas Bryan said.

K9 Cali is a two-year-old female German Shepherd/Chow-Chow mix.

She was rescued from Los Angeles, California, and trained by K9 Protectors in Pennsylvania.

Initially weighing 38 pounds after spending 10 months in a shelter, K9 Cali is now a healthy weight of 70 pounds, Edison police said.

K9 Cali’s favorite things include her squeaky tennis ball, her mom (handler), long walks, and naps on the couch.

All four K9s in the Edison Police Department are alumni of K9 Protectors, a non-profit organization that fosters, trains, and donates shelter dogs to police departments free of cost for careers in law enforcement.

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